Ask the Expert: How Can I Prevent My Kid From Getting Injured While Playing Sports?

It's hard to not worry about sports injuries when your child begins to play sports in gym class or in an intramural team after school. A physical therapist offers tips on how to lessen the risk of sports injuries in kids and provides advice on ensuring your kids stay safe while on the field.

The easiest way to reduce your risk of injuries while playing sports is to make sure you have proper movement and proper technique. In addition to proper movement and technique you also needs take into consideration hydration, nutrition, sleep, and rest.

Children should properly hydrate one half-hour before any competition or practice. For breakfast, make sure kids have energy with a high protein meal so that this energy can be used during competition and/or practice.

Keep in mind that rest is really important between practice and competition. Children should be getting anywhere from eight to nine hours of sleep a night. Those who do not get adequate sleep typically underperform during competition and are at higher risk of sustaining an injury. Many children not only play for their school but also for a club team and maybe CYO or church league. This is a lot of competition and a lot of repetitive stress on the body. A growing body needs an opportunity to rest and rebuild.